DAVID Wheater hopes it can be party time on the Macron pitch again in May.

One of the enduring images of last season’s promotion run-in was of the Wanderers defender wading through celebrating fans, grinning from ear to ear.

But there has been little to smile about for the Whites over the last couple of games, with defeats at Cardiff and QPR dragging them closer into the relegation battle and cranking up the pressure on tonight’s meeting with Sunderland.

Bolton’s fans continue to turn out in number despite the club’s problems on the road, and Wheater would like nothing more than to reward them by helping keep Phil Parkinson’s side in the Championship.

“They were tremendous at QPR but to be honest they are always tremendous,” he told The Bolton News. “I’ll always remember last year at Port Vale – that will stick with me for a long time. The emotion of them coming on the pitch at the end of the game was brilliant.

“I hope we can get safe. It would be brilliant to be celebrating on the pitch with them again. We need to do it for them.”

Sunderland have struggled to adapt after relegation from the Premier League and Chris Coleman’s side could find themselves five points adrift in the relegation zone if results do not go their way.

There are still 13 games to follow but Wheater is under no illusion how important a win would be against the Black Cats.

“It’s a massive game,” he said. “We can’t give them any encouragement to get back up there.

“We go out confident that we can get three points. I mean, we do in every game.

“If they weren’t around us in the table maybe it wouldn’t be a must-win, but it is, isn’t it?

“We have to win. A draw probably isn’t good enough so we have to get out there and do it.

“They are struggling and it’s a massive club in the North East. But I see no reason why we can’t win that game.”

Defeats against Cardiff and QPR have put a dent in confidence, which had been brimming after positive results against Bristol City and Fulham at home. Wanderers’ form away from home has turned into a real concern – but Wheater is at a loss to explain why points are so hard to come by away from the Macron.

“It’s not like we’re not trying,” he said. “It hasn’t gone for us, I don’t know why. We just haven’t played well.

“Luckily we have picked up points at home. We need to keep doing that and it’ll give us a chance. We definitely need to keep it up at the very least. I can’t explain why we’re not winning away. We do everything the same – apart from maybe stay at our own house the night before. That doesn’t affect me. We train on a Friday morning and then go home, or travel to the away game. There isn’t anything different.”